Railway car underframe and process of constructing same



June l5, i937., H. H. Moss 2,084,16

RAILWAY CAR UNDERFRAME AND PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTING SAME Filed Oct. 29,1932 55 lNvENroR m HERBERT H. Moss E BY 35 ATTORNEY Patented .Enne l5,i3?

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RAIILWAY CAR UNDER/FRAME PROCESS F CONSTRUC'IIIING SAME Herbert H. Moss,Brooklyn, N. Y.. assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Union Carbide and Carbon Corporation, a corationof New York Application October 29, i932, Serial No. 640163 11 Claims.

My invention relates to railway car underframes and particularly to theconstruction of the ends of the center sill for the reception of thedraft gear, and to the union between the bolster 5 and the center sill.

An object of my inventionl is to increase the lading carrying capacityand shock resistance of the car underframe per unit weight of the carunderframe.

Another object of my invention is to utilize the end metal of a centersill having a rounded form for receiving a draft gear of rectangularform and the mounting for the draft gear.

The foregoing and other objects are attained in 15 the car underframeillustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. I is an end view of a car underirame in which a, portion of thestriker plate is broken away.

Fig. II is a sectional view along the line II-II in Fig. I disclosingthe bolster in section and a side View of one end of the center sill.

Fig. IlI is a sectional view on the line III-III` in Fig. I disclosingthe bolster in section and a top view of one end of the center sill andthe bolster bottom flange. Figs. IV and V are sectional views-along thelines IV-IV and V-V, respectively, in Fig. II.

Fig. VI is a cross-sectional view of the welded joint uniting the centersill and the bolster bottom flange.

To illustrate myI invention,V one end and an intermediate portion of acenter sill I0, the draft gear mounting, and one bolster or crosssupport II are shown in the drawing. The opposite end of the 'centersill and its associated parts is mfmilar in construction to the endlillustrated in the drawing. The intermediate portion I2 of the centersill extendingbetween the. holsters may 40 have any roundedcross-section from elliptical to round. As shown herein,-the Sill II'ilhas an intermediate portion I2 provided with a. round A,cross-sectionbetween the holsters II, and end portions It provided with a rectangularcrosssection.

Preferably the transition zone I3 between the rounded intermediateportion I2 and the rectangular end portions I4 occurs outside of theintersection of the bolster bottom flange I5 and the center sillnand onthe side of the bolster II nearest the intermediate portion of thecentersill. The sill I0 is .continuous from end to end vand it may beconveniently made from a single length of pipe. Seamless pipe ispreferred but other similar structural steel shapes having a (Cl.MD5-418) rounded or curviform cross-section may be used. In such a case,each end of the tube is split along its bottom longitudinal center linefor a distance equal to the required length of the draft gear opening I6which is formed in the bottom of the 5 center sill IG. The bottom of thesill l0 is cut along a crosswise line il at the inner end of thelongitudinal'cut for a distance equal to the width of the draft gearopening i6. The rectangular portions of metal bound by the rectangleformed 10 by the sides of the cuts and their complementary sides areturned outwardly to form outwardly extending flanges it on each side ofthe draft gear opening I6. The longitudinal edges of the -ilanges i8 maybetrimmed to provide a flange of 15 suitable width. The ends of thetubular sill are then pressed into a shape suitable to receive the draftgear (not shown). As shown herein, the ends It of the sill i0 arepressed into a rectangular form and are maderectangular inwardly beyond20 the draft gear opening i6 for a distance sufficient to receive thecenter ller casting I9 and to eX- tend beyond the bolster bottom ange I5so that the transition zone or portion I3 will be on the inward side ofthe bolster lI. In deforming thev 25 ends of the center sill, the wallsare preferably stretched laterally so that the middle of the rectangularwalls will lie slightly within the end projection f the roundintermediate portion I2 of the sill II). Weld metal 2li is thendeposited over 30 the transition zone It to reinforce it in thatlocalityA and thereby compensate for the loss in strength due to thedeformation of the end of the center sill.

The center filler casting I9 may be solid as 35 shown for convenience orif desired a lighter honeycomb or web structure may be used, andit maybe secured in the center sill in any suitable manner. It is preferableto secure the casting inside of the sill by cutting longitudinal slots2I 40 in the Walls of the` sill I@ and welding the castingl IS to thewalls of the sill by depositing lines of weld metal 22 in the slots 2i.For additional strength two or more lines of weld metal 22 may bedeposited in longitudinal slots in each top,` 45 bottom and side wall.

In order to obtain an eiicient joint betweerrl the cheek plates '23 andthe sides of the center sill I0, an opening is cut into the side walls24 to receive the plates 23. The adjacent edges of the 50 cheek plates23 and the openings are preferably beveled and welded together bylayers25 of weld metal deposited between the beveled edges. When the cheekplates 23 are inserted in the side walls v of the sill I0 and buttwelded thereto, the f ull 55 'strength of the weld metal and the membersof the joint is utilized. As compared to a lap welded joint the weightis decreased and progressive shear is avoided.

The striker castings 26 may now be welded to or fitted against each endof the center sill I0. The striker castings are braced by a gusset plate2l welded to the castings on top ofthe sill.

A bolster I I is welded to each end portion I4 of the center sill I0.The bolster II comprises a diaphragm 28 provided with a central notchwhich fits downwardly over the center sill above the pintle center ofthe center filler casting I9. A pair of plates 30 adapted to serve as abolster bottom flange, center brace plate and tie plate are welded tothe bottom edge of the diaphragm 28. The inner ends 34 of the plates 30are provided with notches 3l to receive the outwardly bent flanges` I8on each side of the draft gear opening i6. The inner ends of the plates30 are butt welded along the edge of the outwardly bent flanges I8 andalong the bottom corner 32 of the rectangular portion I4 of the sill I0.The pair of plates 30, when welded to the center sill in the mannerdescribed, form an efficient joint between the center sill I0 and thebolster I I as the stresses are transmitted from the plates 30 to thecenter sill in lines lying within the plane of the plates 30, the'outwardly bent flanges I8 and the bottom wall 33 of the center sill.Also, the center ller casting being inserted between the side walls ofthe sill at this point acts to stiifen the metal between the inner ends34 of the plates 30.

A center plate 35 may be riveted to the bottomof the center sill I0 andto the inner ends 34 of the flange plates 30. The center plate 35further increases the eiliciency of the bolster I I and the jointbetween the bolster and center sill.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, various changesmay be made therein without departing from the scope of my invention asdei-ined in the appended claims.

`I claim:

l. A center sill comprising a unitary tubular structure having endportions of polygonal crosssection and an intermediate seamless portionof curvi-form cross-section; said intermediate portion and said endportions being formed of one continuous section of metal.

2. A center sill comprising a unitary tubular structure having endportions of polygonal crosssection and an intermediate seamless portionof curvi-form cross-section; said intermediate portion and said endportions being formed of one continuous section of metal; and said endportion having integral flanges extending outwardly from each side wallthereof opposite the draft gear opening.

3. A railway car underframe comprising bolsters; a center sill forsupporting said bolsters; said center sill having an intermediateportion between said bolsters, and end portions extending beyond saidbolsters; said intermediate portion having a tubular cross-section andsaid end portions having a different cross-section; transition portionsintegrally connecting said intermediate and end portions; and weld metaldeposited on said transition portions to reinforce the same.

4. A railway car underframe comprising bolsters; a center sill forsupporting said`bolsters; said center sill having an intermediateportion between said holsters, and end portions extending beyond saidholsters; said intermediate poi'- tion having a curvi-form cross-sectionand said end portions having a quadrangular cross-section; andtransition portions extending between and integrally connected with saidcurvi-form cross-section and said quadrangular cross-sections.

5. A railway car underframe comprising bolsters; a center sill forsupporting said bolsters; said center sill having an intermediateportion between said bolsters and end portions extending beyond saidbolsters; said intermediate portion having a curvi-form cross-sectionand said end portions having a quadrangular cross-section; transitionportions extending between and integrally connected with said respectiveportions of curvi-form cross-section and quadrangular cross-section; andweld metal deposited over said transition portions to reinforce thesame.

6. A railway car underframe comprising a tubular center sill having anopening at the end thereof in the bottom wall of said sill for theinsertion of a draft gear; outwardly bent flanges on the opposite sidesof said opening; a bolster having a diaphragm provided with a notch intotion of a draft gear; outwardly bent flanges on the opposite sides ofsaid opening; a center ller casting extending between the side walls ofsaid sill and secured therein; a bolster having a diaphragm providedwith a notch into which the center sill is received; a pair of platesacting as a combination center brace plate, tie plate and bolster bottomflange having their top surfaces welded to the bottom edge of saiddiaphragm and having their ends adjacent to said sill butt welded tosaid outwardly bent flanges on said sill and to the sides of said sillopposite to said center filler casting.

8. Process-of making a center sill which comprises: providing a tubularstructure of curviform cross-section; deforming said structuresubstantial distances inwardly fromI its opposite ends to provide endportions of polygonal crosssection; cutting portions of the bottom wallsof said end portions longitudinally and transversely; and bendingoutwardly the partially severed parts of the bottom walls to provideintegral exterior flanges along the outer sides of said end sections.

9. A center sill comprising a metal tube of curvi-form cross-sectiondeformed at each end to provide end portions of polygonal cross-section.

10. A center sill comprising a metal tube of curvi-form cross-section,and a metal tube of polygonal cross-section integral with one end ofsaid tube of curvi-form cross-section.

11. A center sill comprising a metal tube of curvi-form cross-section; ametal tube of polygonal cross-section integrally secured at each end ofsaid tube of curvi-form cross-section, each tube of polygonalcross-section being provided with openings; and cheek plates inserted insaid openings and butt welded to the edges of said openings.

HERBERT I-I. MOSS.

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